The race started with Max Biaggi Troy Corser and Fonsi Nieto all fighting for the number two spot. Corser had begun to hunt down Bayliss but was penalised with a ride-through penalty for jumping the start. But before he could even get back to the pits he crashed out on his own.

Biaggi was working hard to take back second place from Fonsi Nieto when he didn’t leave himself enough braking room at the end of the start/finish straight going in to lap four.

The Italian piled on the front brake trying to pass Nieto, the back wheel lifted and came round shaking him off the bike as it touched down at 150mph. The Sterilgarda Ducati rider walked away after an impressive slide through the gravel and a near miss with his flying bike.

While Xaus and Nieto were slogging it out for second, Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa caught up and passed both of them by lap 10 holding second place to the line.

Xaus and Nieto fought hard for the remainder of the race with several very close passes but it was Nieto that finally managed to take the last spot on the podium.

Further down the field there was a massive fight for the lower places but it was former British Superbike riders Ryuichi Kiyonari and Gregorio Lavilla that stood out.

The pair seem to have continued their rivalry in to the World series but their battle stood them well and helped them work through the dense pack to leave Kiyo in sixth behind Max Neukirchner and Lavilla close behind in seventh.